


i'm in awe

by patroclusstars



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Azula (Avatar) Redemption, Azula is good, Fluff, M/M, Miscommunication, Shenanigans, Sokka is cool, Sokka thinks Zuko is pretty, Swearing, Zuko Tries to be Cool but Isn't, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zuko thinks Sokka is pretty, literally just fluff, mai is a bro, no spellcheck we die like men, zuko breaks some shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:07:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25042132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patroclusstars/pseuds/patroclusstars
Summary: Ambassador Sokka wants to know why Zuko is avoiding him.Zuko hates feelings and just wants to avoid Sokka.Team Zukka is DONE.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 406





	i'm in awe

**Author's Note:**

> hi! this is the first time i've written in like two years so be nice please, but also please comment any tips or criticisms! this isn't the best ik but i think it's cute :)

“Zuko?” Sokka called, walking down the long, long halls of the palace in search of the missing Fire Lord.

Impassive guards stood, silently watching the Ambassador to the Southern Water Tribe look unsuccessfully for their leader. They learned at the start of his rule that if Zuko didn’t want to be found, he wouldn’t be found.

Though, if anyone could find Zuko it would be his fourth best friend. (The title of best friend passes through Azula, to Mai, then Toph, then finally Sokka. Everyone was surprised by Azula’s declaration, but no one, not even Toph, wanted to challenge her for.)

So, Zuko wasn’t having the best day.

Since becoming Fire Lord at seventeen, he had been through more shit than healthy for a teenager. His father’s trial, his father’s loyalists attacking Zuko before, during, and following the trial, finally getting Azula to some therapy in hopes of undoing their father’s brainwashing, multiple assassination attempts, and, five years later, he had to deal with fucking FEELINGS.

Here he was, the (mostly) respected ruler of the Fire Nation, hiding from his crush- FRIEND. friend- curled up on the top shelf of a broom closet that he didn’t even know existed, in a hallway he never walked through, following a terrible encounter with Sokka for the first time in a year, ignoring the other times he successfully avoided the man.

(Of course he knows he was being dramatic, it wasn’t as bad as the first time he tried to join the Gaang, or when he burned Toph’s feet, or when he betrayed them to join his sister foolishly believing that she told the truth, or landing Uncle in jail… nothing like that!)

Zuko could feel the heat from his inner flame rise up, threatening to get out of control, something that hasn’t happened since he was on a ship in the middle of the ocean. At twenty-two, he was expected to have his bending under control.

In his defense, he thought, no one accounted for how blue Sokka’s eyes got, or how tan his skin was under the sun of the Fire Nation for a week, or how tall he got, or how his eyes got that crinkle in the corner when he spotted Zuko for the first time, or his blinding white smile, or his muscles flexing under his sleeveless shirt that he preferred when in the heat, and how those arms would feel wrapped around him.

Just seeing him for a few moments forced Zuko to revert from the powerful-deadly-leader-of-an-entire-fucking-nation, to the young, foolish boy he was when he first met Sokka.

That man could charm a rock.

So, he left. Zuko, the leader type, Sparky, Fire Lord Zuko, ran away like a coward.

As he swiftly took his leave, with a completely bullshit excuse, he could faintly hear Toph laughing her ass off at his expense. She would probably start plotting and consorting with the so-called “Zuko Protection Squad,” consisting of the aforementioned best friends, Azula, Mai, surprisingly, Suki, and surprising no one, Ty Lee.

(The trio had been through quite the ordeal, between betraying Azula and going their separate ways, but they found their way back to each other, even if they (Ty Lee) moved away.)

Sokka’s footsteps echoed through the empty halls as he thought about what could have caused Zuko’s abrupt departure. It seemed like every time he saw the Fire Lord he had somewhere else to be, avoiding him in the halls, ignoring his letters and messages sent through the guards.

Why would Zuko avoid him? He thought. What did he do?

It’s no secret how the Ambassador feels about Zuko, maybe he found out? He was uncomfortable? People speculate about his sexuaity, but no one really knows.

After the mutual break up with Mai, he’s been more withdrawn and, well, lonely. He doesn’t date, go out, party, anything that a man his age should do! Given, he’s not exactly normal, but Sokka thinks it should still count!

This was just a clusterfuck, really.

Toph and Mai pushed Sokka to go find the other man, but it didn’t seem like he would be having any luck.

Zuko heard footsteps. Footsteps are bad! Go away!

He tried his hardest to control his breathing, taking calm and quiet breaths as to not indicate that there was any living being in the closet, and it worked! The footsteps kept going, getting quieter and quieter.

Zuko exhaled a breath he didn’t know he was holding, leaning his head back against the wall as he finally relaxed.

Suddenly the shelf decided not to support the weight of a full grown man, and collapsed with a loud prolonged crash, depositing Zuko on the floor among scraps of fabric, debris, and clouds of dust, holding a teapot? Where did that come from?

He sat there for a moment, trying to figure out what just happened when the door slowly opened, a concerned Sokka peering in.

He looked ethereal, light streaming in from behind him, making him look like he was part of the sun, while Zuko sat on the ground covered in dirt. Seriously who cleaned this last?

“Uh,” Sokka gave Zuko a once over, eyes darting from his hair, messy from the fall, to the teapot(???) in his hands, to the frown (pout) on his face, taking in the general scene.

“Don’t.”

Sokka opened the door farther, letting more light into the small closet, and extended a hand for Zuko to haul himself up on... which he did, cradling the teapot to his chest as he gathered the remainder of his dignity and strolled out of the closet, head held high.

Before he could get far, Sokka grabbed his arm and spun him around.

“Zuko,” he began, letting his hand brush down Zuko’s arm before removing it. “We need to talk.”

“What’s up?” Yes Zuko, very cool, very calm! Just a talk between bros!

“Well…” Sokka rubbed his arm nervously. “Have you been avoiding me?”

Shit.

“What?” Zuko blurted out. “Why, uh, why would I do that, that’s so weird of you to ask-”

“Yeah no I know I just, I feel like you’ve been making up excuses-”

“No! No of course not-”

“Oh. Okay nevermind then.”

“Okay.” Nice Zuko. Subtle!

“Well, I have a meeting to get to!” Zuko fibbed. “You know, Fire Lord duties and such-”

“Yeah of course okay! See you soon? When you’re not busy?” Damn he looked so hopeful…

“Yeah. No problem.” He turned and briskly walked down the hall in the direction of his room, satisfied that Sokka believed him.

“What the fuck.” Sokka did not believe him. What a liar! He didn’t have a meeting today, he told Mai that this morning! Why would he lie?

Sokka walked sadly in the other direction, meaning to go to Toph to ask her what the FUCK was going on.

Zuko slammed open the doors to the common room where he knew the Squad was. The Zuko Protection Squad, that is. AKA Team Zukka! Four pairs of eyes blinked up at him from the floor.

“Hi Zuko.” Mai sat up, beckoning him to join them. “We’re trying to feel vibrations like Toph does.” Because that makes so much sense.

Nevertheless, he let himself be dragged down between Azula and Suki, with Toph and Mai on the very ends.

“What’s your problem Sparky?” Toph questioned from his far left. “I know you’re here to talk about your problems so let’s not beat around the bush.” Zuko snorted, but proceeded to explain what happened to him in the last hour.

The girls were not sympathetic.

“Zuzu, I’m gonna tell you what I told you every time you woke up from a nightmare and cried,” Azula started, but not in a hurtful way, That’s just how she shows love!

“‘Suck it up?’” He guessed blandly.

“‘Suck it up!’”

“Seriously Zuko,” Mai reached over Suki to softly slap him in the stomach. “You need to communicate with Sokka how you’re feeling. As far as he knows you’re avoiding him because you hate him.” Zuko shot up.

“What? No no no, I don’t hate him! I love him! I think?” He ran his hands through his hair frantically, facing away from the door. “I don’t know I’m just so confused! Agni, I feel like a teenager with a crush, it’s horrible.”

“You love me?” A soft voice came from the entrance. Zuko stood up and spun around to find Sokka leaning against the door frame with a small smile on his face.

“Well I mean, yeah?” Eloquent. Wonderful. King of speaking over here.

As the two men stared at each other, the rest of the occupants slowly got up and filed out of the room, leaving them to talk.

Finally, Sokka stepped into the room completely, gesturing to the sofa, where they both took a seat.

“So…”

“Yeah.” Zuko sighed, not taking his eyes off his hands in his lap. He heard rustling before a larger set of hands took his, forcing him to look up at the painfully blue eyes, and tanned skin before him.

Sokka studied Zuko intently, looking for any signs of lying, finding none. The Fire Lord’s expanse of pale skin trailing under his robes, his hands, slightly smaller than Sokka’s, but rough and calloused from years of using Dao swords, his gorgeous golden eyes, the rough scar that covers half of his face, symbolizing his survival.

Tui and La, nothing could have prepared Sokka for the whirlwind that was the exiled Prince Zuko.

“Zuko,” He started when it was clear that the other man wouldn’t be speaking anytime soon. “I’ve been in love with you since we rescued my dad from Boiling Rock.” He grinned at the memory of the pure bliss he felt, they both felt, coming back.

“...and Suki.”

“Right yes and Suki.” Trust Zuko to bring up his ex-girlfriend while he’s trying to confess.

“Zuko the point is that I love you. Before I even knew I did. You filled up my waking thoughts, my... unwaking thoughts? Whatever. Point is-”

“You already said ‘point is.’”

“Shut the fuck up and let me confess already? Tui and La you’re insufferable.”

“But you love me.” Zuko had a small grin on his face, the most open and relaxed he’d looked or felt in weeks, so Sokka smiled as well, enjoying the warmth that came from being the one that smile was directed at.

“Yeah. I do.”

“I love you too, if you haven’t realized. I didn’t realize until Mai told me.That’s actually why we broke up” Zuko ignored Sokka’s splutters, laughing quietly. “She helped me be myself. You helped me be myself. I am in awe of you, Ambassador Sokka.”

“And I you, Fire Lord Zuko.”

They smiled, hands still linked on their knees.


End file.
